Sick with a Book
by DreamwithWings
Summary: Belle is sick in the Dark Castle but won't admit it. Will Rumplestiltskin be able to convince her to take the day off? While she's sick will he be able to get any work done?


Belle is sick in the Dark Castle but won't admit it. Will Rumplestiltskin be able to convince her to take the day off? While she's sick will he be able to get any work done?

Belle walked down the stairs, pale as a sheet. When she got to the bottom step she took a deep breath, stifled a cough and steeled herself for the day ahead. Unfortunately she had to go through the dining hall to get to the kitchen to make Rumplestiltskin his morning cup of tea, but he was already up. He stood there stirring his tea in the chipped cup. She always wondered why Rumplestiltskin kept it, he could easily cut himself and even though he had magic it would still hurt.

He didn't look up as she walked in, just kept on idly stirring.

"A little late on the tea dearie, since you slept in I had to fixed it for myself—I do hope you had a good rest."

Her eyes widened. Sleep in? Oh no, she was not here for sleeping she was here for working. She hoped that he would forgive her this time and would have to make sure to make up for the lost time and work later.

She bowed her head and gave a rushed, yet tired, curtsy.

"I apologize for sleeping in, it won't happen again. I'll get started on breakfast."

Belle took a step forward and the room began to spin and she placed a hand on the table to steady herself. Not looking at Rumplestiltskin and praying he didn't see her weakness she was about to make her way out of the room when he appeared in front of her. Startling, and she stumbled black a little. Rumplestiltskin caught her arm and puller her to his chest to keep her from falling and held her for a second looking quite skeptical.

He had noticed the slight rasp in her voice and how she looked quite pale. Putting his hand to her forehead she was about to step back when he gave her a look, how an adult would admonish a child, and she stayed where she was.

"Dearie," he said giving a half-hearted smile, "You're sick."

She squared her shoulders trying to look like a perfect vision of heath. But Rumplestiltskin could see past that and she failed.

"I am not. Now if you will excuse me there is breakfast to be made unless you want us to stand here and starve"

"You will not be making any food today dearie. I will not have what little staff I have wandering around my castle sick."

She looked at him in unconvinced disbelief at the idea of him giving her the day off.

"It taints the magic" he added on quickly. There was no use letting her know that he was more worried about her than his magic at the moment.

She rolled her eyes.

"I am your _only _staff and I'm just fine. Besides, how are you going to run this castle without me?"

She put her hands on her hips and looked at him defiantly. He returned it with a smug grin.

"I've been keeping up this castle on my own for far longer than you know. I think I can handle it one day more."

She felt a little deflated. Did he really not need her at all? Why was she even here if he could do it all himself?

He saw a flicker of sadness and self-consciousness in her eyes, but it was gone in an instant.

"You wouldn't believe how hard it is to come by good help Dearie" He let out and exaggerated sigh, huffing and before she started protesting any more he placed a hand on her back and began guiding her back to the stairs. "So the good help that I have I would like to keep healthy" and as an afterthought he added "No matter what people may say about me"

She rounded on him and looked at him questioningly.

"My room is downstairs."

"The dungeon is no place to stay while you are sick." Rumplestiltskin said decidedly.

"You're making me go to bed…in one of your rooms?"

He was taken aback at the thought of her in his room. It wasn't a bad idea for her to stay there but is she had her own room it might be more comfortable for the both of them.He sighed giving her an impish grin. "I _am_ a monster remember? I'm going to be making you do a lot of things to help around here, and some of them you might not want to do. This time it includes you going to bed in one of the guest rooms. This is what we monsters do dearie" he said flourishing his hand upwards.

The fire left her eyes and Belle tilted her heard. "You're not a monster Rumplestiltskin."

Rumplestiltskin's hands came down a bit and he looked at her in shock for a moment, the grin wiped from his face.

He waved away the comment. "You're just delirious from the sickness."

Belle crossed her arms. "I might be sick but you are certainly no monster" she thought back to her fiancé Gaston and shivered.

At the sight of the shiver a worried look creased Rumplestiltskin's face. He brought his arms down deep in thought.

All of a sudden the mischievous smile reappeared on his face. "I'll make you a deal"

Belle opened her mouth to protest and he put up his hand to stop her. "Ah, ah"

"Listen first" He flipped his hand over and a large, leather bound book appeared in it.

Belle gasped, it was a beautiful book, the cover was intricately designed yet had no words or pictures on it.

"Any novel or story you wish to read will appear on the pages of this book. When you are done, close it and it will become blank again, ready for a new story."

Her eyes widened and he let a real smile escape his lips, he had her captured now.

"I will give this to you for the day to read as much as you want, so long as you stay in bed upstairs and let yourself rest."

He could see the inner struggle going on in her eyes but, with her feeling under the weather and her favorite past time just a hairs breath away for the whole day, he knew exactly what she would chose.

Belle looked up to his eyes and saw no sign of trickery there.

"Deal" she said.

Rumplestiltskin held the book out to her trying his best to squish the look of triumph threatening to appear on his face, least she not want to cooperate.

Belle took the book fragilely and looked at in wonder.

He closed his hand into a fist and brought it to his side trying to subdue the feeling that rushed through his hand when Belle's hand brushed over his as she took the book.

She began to sway a bit as she headed back to the stairs and in an instant Rumplestiltskin was there with a hand softly on her waist helping her gently up the stairs, and to his amazement, Belle didn't push him away. He tried to convince himself that it was just the fever preventing that reaction, nothing more.

When they got to her room, Rumplestiltskin stood by the door as Belle looked around. "This is for me?"

A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips and disappeared but he nodded

Belle made her way over to the bed to lie down.

"Try to get some rest" he said quietly. "If you need anything I'll be downstairs and all you have to do is call my name."

She looked at him after settling herself down into a sitting position under the covers.

"Do you always treat your house keepers like this?"

"I've only had one dearie, and I'd like to keep you around for just a little while longer" he gave Belle his favorite impish grin, turned around, and shut the door.

He waited outside for a moment, hoping he had done the right thing. She did seem ill, but she didn't want to go back to bed. He had been about ready to beg her…but wait…why? Why did he even care so much? Rumplestiltskin wondered.

_You're not a monster_ she said. Did she really believe that?

Rumplestiltskin shook his head to clear the thoughts swirling in his head and began down the stairs; he was quite hungry by now and decided to make his way to the kitchen to fix himself some breakfast.

He got out the eggs, some bacon, bread, and a few potatoes. It had been a while since he had had to cook but it was one thing he had learned to do as a boy and still found himself doing on occasion with ease. It wasn't that he liked it per say, it just came naturally too him and he began to let himself slip into thought as he made it.

When he was done he realized that unconsciously he had made enough for two, it must have been the fact that he had been thinking about Belle.

Rumplestiltskin left his food for when he got back and put Belles on a silver try with some orange juice. Since when had he started playing nurse maid to _his_ maid? He wondered, and then sighed. If anyone else saw him now they wouldn't be able to get over the shock to even believe he was capable of such a thing.

But he felt responsible for Belle, and there was something about her that just made him need to make sure she was ok. He knew she was a capable young woman and she respected that, but he felt protective of her.

Finding himself at the door to Belle's room he knocked softly.

"Belle?"

There was no answer. Instead of panicking he let himself in hoping she was just asleep.

Looking inside he found her lying down curled into the book she was reading, it was open with her hand on it to save the page. Deciding it was best not to wake her, he set the food down on the nightstand enchanting it so that it would stay nice and freshly warm for when she woke up.

He went over to consider what book she had ended up reading and in large, fancy cursive it read _Beauty and the Beast_ , across the front. He clenched his jaw but stopped himself from shutting the book. He knew that story had a happy ending, but that wasn't life. He almost felt as if it were a mockery of his own.

But Belle didn't know that, she said she didn't think of him as a monster; and here she was reading a book where the beast, wasn't really a monster and gets a happy ending. He skimmed the pages to see how far she had gotten, she was at the part after Belle had seen the beast's rose and had left the castle. She had been attacked by wolves when the beast had saved her.

That was where the page ended and Rumplestiltskin couldn't help but give a thin smile. He regarded the food tray and with a small twirl of his hand, a single red rose appeared in a small crystal vase at the head of the tray.

Rumplestiltskin went over to the window and shut the curtains and Belle stirred. He went over and gently felt her forehead and she was cold. Pausing for a moment to think about the best course of action, he gave a defeated sigh and pulled the covers up around the sleeping Belle and conjured up another, thicker, blanket on top of her as well.

She stirred again, settling down deep into the covers and Rumplestiltskin made his way back to the door.

"R-Rumple…?" Belle whispered.

He stopped short knowing the nickname most likely wasn't on purpose, but it still surprised him.

"Yes dearie?" he said quietly, forcing a flippant tone.

"Thank you…for everything"

This day was turning out to hold many firsts for him. Rumplestiltskin thought. She was actually thanking him. It took him back that she seemed so vulnerable and so…innocent. Almost like a child; but no, she had too much fight and maturity in her for that.

"Go back to sleep dearie, you need the rest. Everything will still be here tomorrow when you are feeling better."

He turned to go again but Belle stopped him.

"Wait…will you please read to me?"

Rumplestiltskin couldn't hide she utter shock in his voice. "What?"

She buried her face in the covers. "I know you have work to do but at least until I fall asleep, will you please read to me?"

He bowed his head and smiled to the floor. "If you really want me to dearie" and adding on quickly he said "but only this once."

He brought the covers away from her face and she was smiling. So he picked the book up, turned the page and sat on the edge of her bed to begin reading to her. While he was reading she settled back into the covers and he didn't even notice how silently she had drifted off to sleep until she had rolled over leaving herself pressed up against him.

He jerked his head over to where she lay beside him, her eyes closed and her mouth was tucked into a dreamy smile.

Brushing the hair out of her eyes, he left the book open next to her and made to get up.

Before he had left her hand ghosted over his and he froze, the same tingling sensation he felt earlier had returned.

"Rumple…" she murmured.

"Yes Belle?" he whispered.

She didn't answer; she must have been talking in her sleep. But to him? He was tempted to look into her dreams but decided against it, they were private and he had no business spying on them.

He turned away and walked silently out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

In a daze he made his way to the spinning wheel and began idly spinning, going thought the morning's events in his mind. He didn't even bother to keep track of how much he made or even when he ran out of straw, he just kept spinning the wheel until the sun, ever so slowly, began its descent into darkness, casting small shadows over the Dark Castles walls. All of a sudden a voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Rumplestiltskin?"

It was Belle, and she was still in her room. Encasing himself in purple fog he disappeared from his spinning, leaving the wheal to stop on its own and appeared in Belle's room seconds later.

She startled up. "Oh!" dropping the toast that was in her hand it spilt crumbs over the covers.

"I'm sorry!" she said brushing herself off. "I thought you were going to come in through the door, or something…that startled me." She giggled at the silliness for he _was_ the Dark One and such means were not the only way for him. Belle smiled at him.

"I can come back in through the door if you prefer" he said ready to back away, seeing if she'd take the bait.

"Well, you are already in here so why don't you stay?" Belle replied with a smirk catching him.

He nodded. "Alright. So what did you need? You did call…" he looked at her with a hint of worry and then to the food and back to her.

She caught the look and rushed to put his mind at ease. "Oh no! The food was wonderful, that's actually what I wanted to tell you. It is positively delicious thank you. I didn't know you could cook so well, I hope you saved some for yourself."

At the mention of that his stomach growled a little and his eyes widened. His food…was on the counter in the kitchen…where it had been all day. He had been so deep in thought that he had forgotten to eat.

His lip quirked up. "I did make some for myself, but I am afraid I forgot it entirely when I began my work."

She smiled playfully at him. "And you said that for all those years you were able to take care of yourself. How you didn't starve is beyond me."

"I would have remembered eventually" he said feigning injury.

"Well," Belle said coming to a conclusion. "Seeing as how you haven't eaten yet, would you like to eat with me here?"

Rumplestiltskin swept into an elegant bow. "It would be my pleasure"

Belle brought her hand up to her mouth and giggled again.

He sat on the end of her bed and poofed up his breakfast from the counter, making sure that it was warm once again.

Belle crossed her arms. "I _was_ going to give you some of mine…"

Rumplestiltskin used a finger to tip her chin up so she could meet his eyes. "As much as your generosity moves me, I want you to eat all of it to get better; and if you're feeling up to it you can even have some of mine."

Finishing off her piece of bacon Belle gave a sly smile, reached over and grabbed another piece from Rumplestiltskin's plate. "I might just take you up on that deal, dearie" she said, coining off his pet name. But somehow it sounded more…intimate when she used it.

He couldn't help but laugh. It was a good chuckle, one that Belle had not heard before and she looked at him in surprise.

"You laughed!"

He tilted his head towards her as if he was about to let her in on a secret. "I do do that on occasion dearie."

"But this was different!" she cried. "You sounded much happier" she nodded her head as if to confirm it.

"Hmmm" he intoned, scrubbing his hand over his face. "And if, by some chance…I was?"

Belle tilted her head to the side and smiled. "Then I'm glad I was the one who was able to do that."

Rumplestiltskin raised his eyebrows. Was there no end to the number of surprises Belle had in store for him today? Then he shook his head becoming serious.

"You're playing with fire Dearie. And those who play with fire…tend to get burned."

He made a move to get up but Belles next words stopped him.

"Am I really playing with fire? Or something much more breakable that you just don't want to trust anyone with?"

"Breakable Dearie? Now what might that be?"

"Your heart" Belle looked straight into his eyes and stated it simply.

He walked over to where she sat up and looked down at her.

"Be careful dearie, you're playing with a darkness that has no business even being near you."

"And yet here you are."

H gave a dark laugh. "Yes, here I am, and can you tell me why that is Dearie?"

"Because you care about me. More than once you have saved my life and kept me safe when it would have been so much easier just to turn your back. But you didn't."

He had not expected an answer from her. And the one she gave…could it be true?

"And you know what else Rumplestiltskin? I care about you too and I know you don't believe me but I wish I could prove it to you."

He grabbed her shoulders and shook his head. "That's not true. No one cares about me and that's how it's going to say because I am a—"

Before he could finish Belle had known what he was going to say and leaned forward placing the softest of kisses on his lips. His eyes widened in surprise but when she didn't pull away they closed and he melted to her touch.

When she finally pulled away Belle looked him in the eyes and said "You are not a monster. No matter what people say or what you have done. The past in untouchable now, but the key to your future is in the present."

"I want my future to include you Belle" he said softly. "You are the most special girl I have ever known."

"Then I get to be a part of your present as well." She concluded with a small smile.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Belle soon fell asleep again, tucked in Rumplestiltskin's arms. He listened to her calm breathing and thought about the past day. It had all began with a cold, and a small cough began to tickle the back of his throat, and it looked like it was going to end with one too. Hoping he had not disturbed Belle, he pulled the sheets tighter around them; but at least he had her by his side at last.


End file.
